A Wolf Trapped In An Eagle's Cage
by SapphyreBird
Summary: Hochstetter is determined to prove Hogan's involvement with the Underground. But what happens when things don't go the way he expects them to? What secrets lie behind the Gestapo Major's drive to serve the Third Reich? Hochstetter fic. Rating may go up. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Hogan's Heroes or anything cool like that. I'm just a person with no life whatsoever and has too much spare time on her hands. Ha ha.

This is gonna be a story about Hochstetter because he's currently my favorite character and ya don't see many stories just about him. I welcome all feedback as long as it is constructive. Please review!! I need all the help I can get! Also, if you can think of a better title for this, please let me know. I couldn't think of anything better than this...

**_A Wolf Trapped In An Eagle's Cage_**

_By: ShadowHawk (SapphyreBird)_

The air was icy and thin as Colonel Robert Hogan briefed his men on their next mission. They were all crouched down, hiding themselves in the trees and bushes surrounding a large airstrip. The dark night concealed whatever the plant life failed to, allowing a small sense of security and safety to the men.

"All right, here's the plan," the American Colonel began. "We sneak into the airstrip from the west side, where the gate is less guarded. Once we over-power the guards, we get in through the gate where Carter sets the explosives."

"Yes, sir, got 'em right here. It's a new type of bomb I designed–" Carter started.

"Thank you Carter." Hogan interrupted. After Carter fell silent again, Hogan finished the briefing. "Once the explosives detonate, it will cause chaos and confusion among the Krauts–"

"And we can high-tail it outta here." Newkirk said, finishing the Colonel's sentence.

"Right," Hogan replied with a nod.

"I can't wait to see the look on those Krauts' faces!" LeBeau whispered excitedly in his french accent. Everyone smiled mischievously as they thought about the havoc they were about to create. Finally, Hogan spoke.

"So, is everyone ready?" he asked. The grins they had on their faces was all he needed for an answer. "All right, move out!"

They then moved silently towards their destination. As they slowly approached the western gate, they saw two German soldiers guarding the entrance. With the nod of their leader's head, Newkirk and LeBeau broke from the group to take care of the guards. They drew their weapons and slowly snuck up on the Germans. Almost simultaneously, they hit the guards with the handle of their pistols, knocking them out.

"Sweet dreams!" Newkirk smiled as he silently placed the unconscious guard on the ground. He then signaled to the others that it was safe to proceed. Before long, they all were re-grouped in front of the gate. As Carter got the bombs ready to be set, LeBeau took the keys off of one of the guards' belt and unlocked the gate.

"Okay, Carter, you ready?" questioned Hogan.

"Yes, sir! I've fused the bombs and set the timer. We have about 8 minutes 'till they detonate," Carter explained.

"Good. Let's make this quick so we can be back in time for role call," Hogan said.

With that said, the demolition expert handed half of the explosives to the Colonel. Once in possession of the bombs, Hogan and Newkirk went one way while Carter and LeBeau went the other way. It didn't take long to place the charges due to their experience with sabotage. Soon, they all found themselves creeping back into the dark shrubbery. The group of men huddled at a safe distance and waited for the explosions. Carter looked at his watch.

"3... 2... 1... Now!"

Right on cue, explosions thundered through the sky while large spheres of fire erupted all along the air base. Hogan and his men let out a quiet cheer of triumph.

"Mission accomplished!" Hogan smiled. He then turned to the others. "All right, guys, let's get out of here!"

The four of them turned around and crept away from the scene of destruction they had created and began their return to Stalag 13.

**A/N:** I know Hochstetter wasn't actually in this part, but I needed to set the scene for the rest of the story. But don't worry, Hochstetter's gonna be in the next part.


	2. Chapter 2

It was late at night, but despite the late time, Major Wolfgang Hochstetter was working at his desk like a good little German. Suddenly, the phone rang.

"Hello, Major Hochstetter here," he answered. The voice on the other side of the line was not happy. It was soon revealed to Hochstetter that another important thing was sabotaged. This time it was a top secret air strip. Naturally, the news angered the major.

(1) "Wann war dieses? Wie viele Uhr war es?"

(2) "Es war vor fünfzehn Minuten. The whole thing went up in flames."

(3) "Wo? Gib mir den Koordinierten." Major Hochstetter had a feeling that he knew where it would be.

The voice gave the coordinates and before hanging up, demanded that the saboteurs be caught. The major guaranteed that he would catch them before slamming down the phone in anger. He then got up from his desk and walked over to a map hanging on the wall. The map had X's on it indicating places where sabotage had taken place. Hochstetter found the point where the air strip was, or, used to be, and placed another X on the map. He stood back and looked at the map. Yet another place destroyed within a short distance of Stalag 13. He growled at the thought of the place. He then went back to his desk and picked up the phone. He followed the basic procedure for ordering up a search of the area. After giving orders, he hung up the phone and reached for his coat and hat. Time to pay a visit to Col. Klink and the most dangerous man in all of Germany…

(1) When was this? What time was it?

(2) It was 15 minutes ago.

(3) Where? Give me the coordinates.

A/N: Sorry this part's a little short, but I'll try to make up for it. Keep in mind that this is sorta like a rough draft and your reviews can help improve it! Hint, hint! lol!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Before we begin, I just want to take a second to thank all those who have reviewed thus far. I really appreciate it! Anyway...

The cold air swept through Stalag 13, the "toughest" P.O.W. camp in all of Germany. The chilly gale made its presence clearly known to the men standing outside in formation. Hogan and his men shivered along with their fellow inmates. He watched as Schultz, the Sergeant of the Guard, carried out his duty and counted the men lined up in front of him.

Soon, the Kommandant of the Stalag, Col. Klink, approached.

"Repooooort!" he shouted. Schultz turned around and walked up to him.

"Herr Kommandant," he started as he saluted, "all present and accounted for!"

"Good. Disssmissed!" The Colonel then turned around and headed back into his office.

"All right, prisoners- - Dismissed!" Schultz shouted.

As Hogan started heading towards the barracks, he noticed a black staff car enter through the main gate. He watched as it drove up to the outside of Klink's office and stopped. A man in a black uniform got out and entered the building. Hogan knew it was Major Hochstetter. His men had seen the major as well and looked at Hogan.

"Hmm, I think it's time for a coffee break," Hogan said.

Everyone knew what that meant and they all entered the barracks and went straight into Hogan's office. Once in there, Kinch took out the coffee pot and set it up. It wasn't long before they could hear everything taking place within the Kommandant's office…

Klink sat at his desk, trying to finish the last few reports on his desk before going to bed. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

Klink's secretary, Fraulein Hilda, gently opened the door.

"Major Hochstetter is here to see you, Herr Kommandant," she informed.

Klink groaned. If Hochstetter was here, then who knows when Klink would be able to get to bed.

"Tell him I died," Klink mumbled.

"Then Germany might win the war after all!" Hochstetter responded as he walked into Klink's office. Klink put on a happy face and acted pleased to see the major, even though he deeply hated the man.

"Ah, Major Hochstetter! How nice it is to see you!"

Hochstetter sighed with annoyance at the obvious facade. _Nobody_ was _ever_ that happy to see him. Klink continued on.

"It's always such a pleasure getting a visit from the Gestapo!"

"Klink, if you don't shut up, you'll be getting another visit from the Gestapo, and I can assure you, not even you will find it enjoyable!" Hochstetter threatened. Klink's smile quickly faded as he briefly remembered some of the things the Gestapo was capable of.

"What can I do for you, Major?" Klink asked.

"Klink, are you aware that earlier this evening, one of our most top secret air bases was completely destroyed?" Hochstetter questioned.

"No, I was not aware," Klink answered, "but what does that have to do with Stalag 13?"

"Because it happened less than 5 kilometers from here!"

Klink gulped. Hochstetter was clearly not in a very good mood.

"Klink, why is it that the area around Stalag 13 has had more acts of sabotage than any other place in Germany?!" Hochstetter growled.

Klink stumbled to find the right words to answer the Major. Suddenly, the phone rang.

_"Whew... Saved by the bell... er... well, phone..." _Klink thought as he breathed a sigh of relief. Hochstetter noticed this and glared at the Colonel. Klink reached for the phone, but Hochstetter beat him to it. He looked up at the Major as he answered the phone, but quickly dropped his gaze under the death glare Hochstetter was giving him.

"Hello, Major Hochstetter here." He was quiet for a brief moment while listening to the voice on the phone. "Ja, I understand. Ja, I'll be right there." He hung up the phone and turned towards the door.

"We just captured an Underground agent who might be involved with the sabotage. I'm leaving to go interrogate him."

Hochstetter saw the relieved look on Klink's face, then he continued.

"But don't worry Klink; I will be back."

Then Major Hochstetter left. Klink sighed and got up from his desk. He opened the door to his outer office.

"Fraulein Hilda?" he called.

"Yes, Herr Kommandant?"

"I'm going to bed early. You may leave as soon as you finish the daily reports."

"Thank you, Herr Kommandant! Good night, sir," Hilda replied. Klink nodded in response, grabbed his hat and overcoat and headed towards his quarters with his riding crop in hand.

Back in Hogan's office, the men discussed about what they just overheard.

"Well it certainly doesn't take the Gestapo very long," LeBeau muttered as he put the coffee pot away. Hogan looked deep in thought.

"I'm curious about this Underground agent they just apparently captured," Hogan started.

"Should we radio London and fill them in on what's going on?" Kinch asked. Hogan nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go do that."

With that said, the men left the office and went to go make contact with London.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **I'm sorry it took forever to update this, but I went away for about a week and I had to get ready for school to start and all, but I do want to thank those who have reviewed. It makes me very happy.**

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On his way back to Gestapo Headquarters in Hammelberg, Major Hochstetter stared out the window of his staff car. He was lost deep in thought over how he should go about this next interrogation. He had always enjoyed twisting a prisoner around psychologically, but ever since the war started go bad for the Germans, he had kind of lost his patience for that. Psychological Warfare was the most entertaining, but also the longest method of Hochstetter's interrogations. In recent days, he used ruthless methods of violence to obtain information. It was the quickest way and it kept his superiors happy, but it was less amusing for the Major.

Hochstetter sighed. He missed the good old days where he had the time to mess with another person's head. Even as a kid he liked to manipulate others and watched in amusement as they eventually came around to his way of thinking. Not only did it provide him with entertainment, but it also gave him a small taste of something that would consume his life; power. Soon, even his father would- - -

Hochstetter stopped in mid-thought and shook his head slightly. He did not want to think about that man who he had called his father. It sent a shiver down his spine.

_"Thank God I'm nothing like him,"_ Hochstetter briefly thought. His gaze soon returned to the window.

_"Thank God I'm nothing like him..."_


	5. Chapter 5

It wasn't long before Major Hochstetter's car reached Gestapo Headquarters. Hochstetter looked out to see 4 of his men guarding their new prisoner. Hochstetter studied the man as he got out of his car; he was a little taller than Hochstetter, not that he wasn't used to that by now. Even Klink was taller than him; it always killed him to have to look up at Klink, but after a while, Hochstetter learned to deal with it. The man had short brown hair and was dressed in casual clothes typical of most civilians.

"Achtung!" one of the soldiers shouted as the Major approached. They all snapped to attention and saluted.

"Heil Hitler! At ease," Hochstetter replied casually while giving the salute. He looked at the captured man. "Is this the prisoner?" he asked.

"Jawohl, Herr Major!" the same guard replied. He walked up and quickly saluted when he addressed the Major. "We found him hiding in a barn not too far from the air base. There was also some explosives hidden in the hay stacks. His name is Kummler. Dietrich Kummler."

Hochstetter nodded. "Sehr gut, Korporal Schneider. Bring him to my office."

"Jawohl, Herr Major!" Corporal Schneider saluted and gave the orders. The three other soldiers grabbed Kummler forcefully and dragged him into the building. Hochstetter soon followed, accompanied by Corporal Schneider.

"What information do we have on him?" Hochstetter asked.

"Not much... We know that he's an industrial worker. He works in one of the factories producing artillery shells." Schneider answered.

"Hmmm..." Hochstetter thought for a brief second. Soon, an evil smirk found its way to his face. "Any close family?"

The evil smirk immediately spread to the Corporal's face as well. "Yes. He has a wife, Annaliese, and two kids, Kai and Christina."

"How old?"

"6 and 5."

"Perfect."

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**A/N: I don't know when I'll be able to update next, seeing as school has begun and my teachers have already started giving out quite a bit of homework. I'll try to update soon, but I can't promise anything. However, maybe if I get... oh, let's say... about 4 or 5 more reviews, it might motivate me to update faster... Hint, hint!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Well, there's another bit of the story. I'm going to be honest here; I don't know when I'll be able to continue on with this. Things have been a little crazy lately with homework, National Honor Society, and college stuff too. I don't really have a lot of time for writing, but I will try if I get some more reviews! So... Please review!!**

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The prisoner stood tall in Hochstetter's office. He was scared out of his mind, but refused to let any of the fear show through. He looked at the two guards on either side of him. The third guard stood in front of him with his machine gun pointed directly at his chest. He looked around the room, trying to get a better understanding of his surroundings.

It wasn't long before the door opened. He turned around to see Major Hochstetter enter the room with Corporal Schneider right behind him. The corporal was carrying a large folder in his hands as he followed the major towards his desk. Once there, he set the folder down and awaited further instructions. Hochstetter stood behind the desk.

"Search him," Hochstetter said plainly.

The men carried out their orders without question or hesitation. While one of them kept his machine gun pointed at Kummler, the two other guards searched him. Corporal Schneider stood next to Hochstetter as he quickly browsed through the file.

After the search was over, the only thing found on the prisoner was a long dagger. It had a golden handle with a beautiful, detailed carving of a phoenix rising from the ashes on it. One of the guards handed the blade to Hochstetter. He examined it for a moment. Even he had to admit that it was a beautiful piece of art, even though he knew nothing about artwork, nor did he ever really care about it.

Hochstetter soon placed the dagger on top of the folder on his desk. He then eyed Kummler, an evil plot trying to form itself in his mind. The major walked around his desk and up to the captive man.

"Now, Kummler," the major began, "I'm going to cut straight to the chase. Tell me about the sabotage of the air base."

Kummler remained still and stared at Hochstetter. "I know nothing about it and had nothing to do with it."

But this wasn't the answer Hochstetter was looking for. He managed a smile.

"I'm sure you didn't," Hochstetter said coolly. "But I don't have time for this--"

Hochstetter quickly punched Kummler in the gut a few times. The guards let him fall to the ground.

"–Nor do I have time for your games! Now, you can either tell me everything, or..."

Hochstetter gave Kummler a couple of strong, swift kicks while he was on the floor. He waited for the man to reply. Eventually, he did.

"'Or' what?" Kummler asked. Hochstetter smiled darkly.

"Or else we will bring your family into this!"

This obviously disturbed the man. "I--I have no family!" he quickly lied, trying to defend his wife and kids from the Gestapo. _He_ was willing to die, but he would not risk the lives of his wife and children. Unfortunately, Hochstetter did not believe the lie.

"Of course you don't," Hochstetter replied smoothly, "so we'll just kill this 'Annaliese' and her two children, Kai and Christina, even if you do give us any information!"

"You... wouldn't...!" Kummler just barely managed to say.

"Watch me!" Hochstetter laughed. "Corporal Schneider!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hochstetter walked back to his desk and opened the folder, moving the knife towards the edge of the desk. He picked up a piece of paper and handed it to the corporal.

"Go to this address, and take Private Müller, here, with you." Hochstetter pointed to one of the three guards to indicate who he was talking about. Corporal Schneider smirked.

"Yes, sir! And once we get there...?"

Hochstetter smiled evilly.

"Kill them all."

"Yes, sir!!"

Kummler looked at Hochstetter with pure disbelief in his eyes. "No...! You can't...!" he choked out.

"I can and I will and there's nothing you can do about it!" the major shouted back.

"N-no...!"

"Oh, and corporal..."

"Yes, sir?"

"Make sure it isn't peaceful!"

"Jawohl!!" Schneider replied enthusiastically and saluted before he and Müller left the office.

"No...!"

Hochstetter looked down at Kummler.

"Yes! Now, how does it feel to know that you're responsible for the death of your wife and young children?" he asked slyly.

"Y-you monster...!"

"Hate me all you want," Major Hochstetter began, "but know that ultimately you're the one responsible! Just know that it's all your fault!"

"You... bastard!! Burn in Hell!!!"

"At least your wife and children will be waiting for me."

That was it. 'The straw that broke the camel's back,' as they say. The prisoner went berserk. He dove for the knife on Hochstetter's desk and lunged at him. His guards were caught… well, off-guard; everything was happening so fast. By the time they came to their senses, the prisoner had already jammed the knife right below Hochstetter's shoulder and was struggling to regain control of the blade just one more time… That's all he needed; one more shot at the Gestapo Major's chest.

Soon, one of the guards opened fire, out of instinct, quickly putting an end to the struggle. With the look of shock permanently printed on his face, the prisoner fell towards the ground. However, he was still gripping tightly on to the dagger's handle. As he fell, the weight of his body pulled the blade all the way down Hochstetter's arm.

"H-h-herr Major…." One of the guards stuttered, still somewhat 'shell-shocked'. "A-are you alright?"

"About as alright as one could expect…" Hochstetter growled. "Get this dead body out of here. Schnell!"

"Jawohl, Herr Major!" The guard quickly saluted and carried out his orders.

"Hmph… Damn traitor…!" Hochstetter cursed under his breath as he examined his arm. The second guard stepped forward and saluted as he addressed the Gestapo officer.

"Herr Major, is there anything I can do?"

"Ja, go make the report on the prisoner."

"But, Herr Major, your arm--"

"That's an order, Private!" Hochstetter snapped. The guard, knowing better than to second guess or question the major, obediently responded with a "Jawohl, Herr Major!" and left the room, somewhat reluctantly, but at the same time, relieved.

Hochstetter was left alone in his office, his arm beginning to bleed uncontrollably. He reached into the back of his desk and pulled out a First Aid kit. It was times like these when he was glad he took that basic survival training course. First, he had to expose the wound. He carefully took off his torn uniform jacket and tie, revealing the blood-stained tan shirt underneath. He gently removed the shirt, fully exposing the wound. He grimaced at the sight of the arm-length gash… more so out of inconvenience than out of discomfort. He knew now the next step was to stop the bleeding and clean the wound. He took his already stained shirt and tried to wipe away the excess blood so he could get a better visual view of the gash.

"Damn…" he said out-loud. The cut was too big; he would have to use stitches.

He then proceeded to sterilize the needle he was going to have to use. Before he started stitching, he tried to clean the wound. He took the sterilizer he had just used, which was basically rubbing alcohol, and cleaned the wound. The alcohol made his arm sting unbelievably, yet it didn't affect him as much as it should've… If anything, the pain was somewhat soothing to him. It felt as if all his stress was bleeding out with the blood.

Beginning to realize he was thinking crazy thoughts, Hochstetter shook his head and focused on the situation at hand. After cleaning the wound, he took some thread out of the First Aid kit and prepared the needle. After securing the thread to the needle, he began to stitch his arm together again… or at least tried to. He admitted he was not a trained expert and realized that stitching wasn't as easy as it looked. He also had no real previous experience; sure, he had seen similar gashes on the bodies of his prisoners (that he had caused, by the way) but never thought to stitch them back together again. It would be a sign of weakness; an intolerable sign of weakness, which would very well condemn him to the same fate. He remembered very clearly what he was taught; what was drilled into his head:

"_**Every trace of compassion reveals to the "enemies of the State" a weak spot that they would immediately take advantage of. Any compassion with "enemies of the state", however, is unworthy of an SS man. Weaklings have no place in their ranks, and would do well to retire as soon as possible to a monastery. He had need only of hard, determined men, who ruthlessly obeyed every order. It is not for nothing that they wore the death's head and carry loaded weapons at all times! They are the only soldiers who even in peacetime, day and night, took on the enemy, the enemy behind the barbed-wire fence." **_(pgs. 41-2 "That Was Dachau")

"_The enemy behind the barbed-wire fence..."_ Hochstetter repeated in his mind. He then suddenly remembered that he still owed Klink another 'visit'. However, it didn't make sense to go to the prison camp without a real reason. He still wasn't entirely convinced that Dietrich Kummler was behind the sabotage. It didn't seem likely that one man could do all that damage by himself.

Hochstetter smiled. Perhaps this would provide him with a good excuse to investigate the Stalag again. Another chance to prove Hogan was with the Underground. And another chance to avenge himself for all those time he was humiliated in front of his superiors.

His smile turned into a darkened grin until a sharp pain pierced though his arm. He looked down to realize that he had let his mind wander so much that he wasn't even stitching the wound anymore. He then decided that it was probably in his best interest to concentrate on one situation at a time.

He then resumed in attempting to sew his arm back together again... Then... he would return to Stalag 13...


	7. Chapter 7

**OMG! I'm alive!! It's been, like, forever since I last had time to update! Never mind having time to actually write! I'm in a little creative phase right now so I'm trying to take advantage of it as much as I can. I have actually written the rough drafts of later chapters, but I haven't been able to re-write this next immediate scene. Because I want to try to give back something to those who have read this, I'm going to post what I had originally. When I re-write this chapter, I plan to have a lot of the same dialogue and everything, just put it in a different setting. But anyway, I wanna post this so it doesn't continue to further hinder my progress. So, here we go...**

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The Gestapo Major sat in silence, focusing on his current task at hand. Suddenly, five unknown figures came crashing in through his door. They were dressed in civilian clothing which told Hochstetter one thing… one very important thing… It was the Underground. He knew this organization more than he wished he did. Thanks to the senior Prisoner of War officer at the nearest prison camp, Stalag 13.

Hochstetter also knew why they had come; they came for revenge. He knew that the prisoner his guard had just killed had been a part of their little "gang".

"Was die Hölle?! Was ist los hier?!"¹ he demanded while quickly putting on his shirt and uniform jacket again.

"I believe you know very well what's going on, Major!" one of them shouted.

"I shall have all of you shot!" Hochstetter threatened. Another one smiled.

"That is, if we don't shoot you first!"

"Now, come with us… if you want to live that is…." said another. Two of the members of the Underground came up behind Hochstetter and jammed their pistols into his back, signaling that they wanted him to move.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Hochstetter claimed. He reached for his gun on his belt, but the Underground was already a step ahead of him. The two behind him grabbed his arms and restrained him, however with much difficulty. The leader of the band walked up to Hochstetter calmly.

"I'm glad… Now we get to do things our way….!" He raised his arm and struck Hochstetter on the side of his head with his pistol, expecting to knock him out. However he was in for a little surprise.

"Heh, I'd like to see you try…!" snarled Hochstetter, still very much awake, despite that good whack to his head, which had started to bleed. The blood dripped down the side of his face and passed the evil, taunting smile he had on. The leader of the small Underground band was somewhat stunned for a minute until he realized that this could mean one hell of an opportunity for pay-back.

"Alright…" he smiled just as evilly as Hochstetter, "If that's the way you want it, I think we're up for the fun…! What do you guys think?"

The men surrounding Hochstetter all chuckled darkly to themselves. The leader's smile grew even bigger.

"Excellent! The aye's have it! Now, let the fun commence!"

He then took the same knife that the first prisoner had used to tear open Hochstetter's arm. He held it in his hand for a moment or two before throwing it at Hochstetter, hitting him in the stomach. The blade dug deep into his body, tearing apart the flesh. The other members of the Underground let go of the Gestapo officer, who had stopped struggling, letting him fall to the ground.

"Well," laughed the Underground leader, "how's that for fun?"

There was no reply. The loss of blood had finally caught up to the German officer and caused him to finally pass out. The Underground leader frowned.

"Aw, what a shame! He passed out before we had a chance to become better acquainted…. Oh well…. I guess we're just gonna have to bring him back to our place…!"

Not missing their cue, the other four members of the Underground surrounded Hochstetter's unconscious body. Almost simultaneously, they bent down and picked him up. Then they swiftly carried him off and out of the building…

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¹_What the hell?! What's going on here?!_

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**A/N: In my own personal opinion, I think this chapter sucks right now; there's a lot of flaws in it that just jump out at me and scream in my face. I have an idea of what I'm going to change, but I don't know when I'll be able to revise this chapter. So, in light of that, please don't burn me too badly if you happen to leave a review.**


	8. Chapter 8

……By the time Major Hochstetter finally regained consciousness, he found himself in a small, little cell, chained to the wall. His body ached; the Underground must have beaten him while he was unconscious. He tried to move around a bit to get a better understanding of his surroundings. However, his attempts only ended in extreme pain; the small Underground unit didn't even bother to remove the knife from his stomach. It was still wedged deep within his being, causing pure agony whenever the Gestapo man moved.

Quickly realizing that any movement would just injure him more, Major Hochstetter decided that the best thing for him right now would probably be just to stay still and quiet, bringing no unwanted attention to him.

Despite his efforts, though, the Underground had already discovered that he was awake and conscious. Never missing any chance to avenge their fallen comrade, all five of them entered the small room containing the restrained German.

"Well, well, well! Look who decided to finally wake up!" the leader chanted mockingly. Hochstetter looked up at him, hatred and contempt filling his gaze. The leader had an equal amount of animosity in his eyes as he stared back at Hochstetter. "Why do you look at me like that? Hmmm??" he asked, already knowing the answer. The major didn't reply; he turned his head and looked away.

This angered the Underground unit's leader. He lashed out at Hochstetter, punching him a few times in the gut, right next to the knife. "You will look at me when I address you!!" he shouted.

Hochstetter sighed irritably and chose to humor the little traitor. He turned and faced his enemy.

"That's more like it!" the leader responded. "Now," he continued, "do you know why we have brought you here?"

Again, he was asking questions he already knew the answers to, and this annoyed Hochstetter to no end. He sighed again and rolled his eyes; sure, he heard of "playing dumb", but this was just ridiculous.

"Answer me!!" the leader yelled again, this time punching Hochstetter in the jaw.

"Okay, okay…" Hochstetter began. "Ja, ich wieß--"¹

"In English, please, if you don't mind!!" the leader demanded.

"Fine… You only hate me for doing my job," Hochstetter answered.

"Wrong!" one of the other Underground members chimed.

"And do you know what happens when you answer wrong?" asked another one.

"_This_ is what happens!" cried the third. Then, all five of them took turns punching and beating the German.

"Care to try again?" asked the leader again. Despite the beating, however, Hochstetter remained undaunted and glared at his enemy defiantly.

"The only reason why I'm here right now is because I have served my country faithfully and strongly just as every soldier should."

"No! No! Not even close!"

Another round of beatings took place. Weakly, yet at the same time, strongly, Hochstetter continued on.

"I am a loyal German, dedicated to my cause and my country. Nothing shall keep me from doing my duty… especially not little, cowering traitors like yourselves!" he spat.

Enraged, the five Underground members unleashed the anger on Hochstetter through yet another round of beatings, each becoming more relentless than the last.

"I shall continue to serve my country for as long as I am expected to. I shall continue to serve and obey my Führer with the same amount of passion as I was taught. I will fight to the death defending my homeland from traitorous allied scum like you!!"

That was all it took to incur the five men's wrath. They started beating the major again, holding back nothing and completely without mercy.

"No! We are the liberators! You are the tyrants!!" one was screaming.

"If anyone's a traitor, it's you! You're a traitor to mankind!" another shouted.

"You stand for nothing but evil in its purest form!" cried the third.

"You're nothing but a slave to the Devil Himself!!" yelled the fourth.

"You speak of righteousness; loyalty and faith… but in reality… you've done nothing but sell your soul to the real scum of humanity!" stated the leader.

"And who are you to judge me?" Hochstetter weakly asked. A twisted smile appeared on the leader's face.

"That's kinda funny… coming from you…!" he snickered. He walked up to Hochstetter and forcefully grabbed the handle of the dagger still wedged within the body of the officer. Hochstetter winced in pain. "Heh…! You hypocrite…!" With the same distorted smile, he dragged the dagger across the Gestapo man's torso before ripping it out of his being. Laughing, he watched as the crimson river began to flow out of the major. Hochstetter felt himself blacking out again, and he embraced it. He would not give these five men the satisfaction of watching him writhe in pain.

* * *

¹_Yes, I know--_

* * *

**A/N: I'm trying to write the next part as soon as I can so I can continue posting my more recent stuff for the story. Just bear with me and hopefully it won't take too much longer... I hope...**


	9. Chapter 9

The last thing Major Hochstetter could remember was total darkness consuming his vision. Everything that happened prior to that seemed blurry. He tried to recall what transpired for a moment or two.

_What's going on...? Where am I? What happened to—_

Then it all came flooding back to him. The prisoner; the Underground. He opened his eyes only to see nothing. He could feel himself start to panic as his other senses desperately tried to compensate for his lack of vision.

The first thing he felt was pain and soreness all over his entire body. He then smelt the blood sluggishly draining from his wounds. A sudden jolt rattled his body, irritating his wounds and making him even more sore. The aggravated injuries released yet another wave of agony coursing through his veins as he pondered the origin of the jolt. That's when he noticed a low, monotonous humming that surrounded him with its rhythmic, steady song.

He tried moving around, adjusting his position in an attempt to get a better understanding of his situation. Although he didn't find out as much as he hoped, he did learn one thing: any movement resulted in a lot of pain. His body was not happy with him being so curious and punished him by paralyzing his mind with unbelievable agony. Luckily, for him, there wasn't much to move around in.

As he tried to recover from his most recent trip with pain, his brain tried to analyze every bit of information he had managed to obtain. He knew he was in a confined space, although he lacked the exact details. He was aware of the persistent hum that echoed throughout his confinement. Another rattling jolt shook his body and made him aware of some other outside force influencing his current situation. He had a sense of movement as his mind tried to compile a list of reasonable explanations. The most logical, he figured was that he was in a car. That would explain the humming, the jolting, and the sense of movement.

_'Hmm... If I'm in a car, it's probably a safe bet to say that the Underground had taken my staff car earlier... That would explain how they got me to that cell before...'_ the Major thought to himself.

He made an attempt to lift his right arm, but the wound burned in protest. Giving in to the pain, Hochstetter relaxed that arm and reached up with his left arm. He knew that somewhere above him there was a small lever that would allow him to open the trunk from the inside. He searched around for a short while until he felt his fingers come across the cool, smooth steel.

After allowing himself a brief moment to savor this little triumph, he firmly grasped the handle and pulled. Before long, the hatch holding the trunk shut unlocked. A chilling wind rushed into the small confinement. It seemed to soothe the fiery pain that consumed Hochstetter's body, which gave him the strength he needed to begin to edge himself towards the outside world.

He opened the trunk further, allowing himself enough room to make his escape. As he prepared to push himself out of the vehicle, he peered outside to see if his theory was correct... And sure enough, it was; the Underground did indeed steal his car and they were using it now to transport the Major to who-knows-where.

With a deep breath, the Gestapo Major got ready for his escape. He pushed against the back of the trunk with his legs and eventually got out. He attempted to brace himself during the brief moment he had before he'd hit the ground. When he did hit the ground, it was agony like he could not believe. Not even the freezing wind could hope to pacify the burning pain. The momentum from the moving vehicle caused him to roll a bit, but at least he was out. However, luck was not on his side; the Underground unit must've noticed his little escape somehow. Hochstetter heard the brakes squeak as the car came to a stop.

_I have to get out of here... If they catch me again, I'm dead..._

Quickly looking around, he noticed the woods surrounding either side of the road. Despite the protests from his being, he slowly rose to his feet and began to head into the woods. He heard the car doors open and the shouts from the Underground unit. Their leader stood dumbfounded for a moment.

"I must admit, his resilience is astounding..." the man mumbled to himself as he watched the Gestapo man. However, his buddies did not bother to contemplate on that and one of them drew a gun.

"I'll make sure he never escapes again!" he declared and then took aim.

Hochstetter was almost to the woods. He knew that if he could get amongst the trees, he'd have a fighting chance for survival.

_'Well, at least I still have one working arm...'_ He thought to himself.

**Bang!**

He heard the gunshot one second, and felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder the next. It didn't take much to figure out that he was being shot.

_Just great. Well, at least I still have two legs..._

Two more shots were fired, which ended up hitting him in his right leg. No longer able to support his body weight, the leg crumbled when he tried to step on it. He fell down right at the edge of the woods.

_'Ach, Verdammen!'_ he cursed. He noticed the pattern that whenever he acknowledged having something, it would be shot. So, he thought that maybe the trend would hold out for one more time. _'Well, at least I have a head!'_

He waited for a shot that never came. He turned around to see them getting back into the staff car and driving off quickly. Then, a few moments later, another car passed by, full of German troops... And drove right passed Hochstetter, leaving him to die...


	10. Chapter 10

He stumbled through the forest, leaving a dark trail in his wake. It did not concern him though; it would be impossible to see in the dirt and fresh snow was beginning to fall anyway.

His eyes shone through the darkness, searching desperately for any kind of aid. The bullet wound in his left shoulder began to throb viciously along with the two in his right leg. The matching gashes across his torso and all down his right arm started to burn and sting. The winter winds had frozen the wound on the left side of his face, and the dried blood clung to his face uncomfortably.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to have to lean against a tall, strong tree in order to stay up on his feet. He felt himself swaying back and forth as he lifted a bloody hand to hold his throbbing head. His lungs had suffered the wrath of the cold gales and felt as if they were as dry and fragile as fallen leaves. Each time he gasped for air, he could feel the winds continue their assault upon his lungs.

After a moment or two, he was feeling stable enough to try to walk a little further. He straightened his posture as best as he could without invoking too much pain. He managed to stagger forward, but he had underestimated the power of the dizziness.

He could not believe the force of the pain; it controlled his entire being. It overthrew his conscious and took command of his body. He felt himself fall to the earth as his body began to crumble. He hit the ground, the impact magnified by his injuries. A small yelp managed to escape from his bleeding throat as he winced in pain. He could have sworn he saw the Angels of Death, descending the skies, eager to claim his soul.

Suddenly, a sound nearby grasped his attention. He wanted to turn his head towards the noise, but found himself incapable of doing so. Besides, he was too weak to try. The noise got closer and closer. Soon, he heard voices join with the previous sound. There was definitely more than one… He was definitely not alone…

The voices whispered excitedly to one another before the first sound got closer and closer. He assumed it was footsteps… The footsteps of the Underground band, coming to finish him off. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the end. By now the voices had found and surrounded his bleeding body. He tried to make out what they were saying, but his current state of agony held most of his attention.

"Holy cow! Is that Major Hochstetter?!" one of them was saying.

So they knew who he was. He could practically feel his demise breathing down his neck. However, he could not help but notice how familiar they sounded.

"That's him, all right…" someone else replied in a French accent.

_Have I heard these voices somewhere before?_

"Blimey! What happened to him?!" Another one asked.

_Still, they sound so familiar…_

"He looks like Hell…!" whispered yet another one. "What should we do, Colonel?"

_Who are these people? And how did they know me? And most of all… do I know them?_

"… All right… forget the job tonight," sighed the final, more assertive voice. Numerous objections began to arise before the supposed Colonel spoke again. "And inform London and the Underground that we have a very special hostage."

_Colonel Hogan!!_

There was no mistake. Hochstetter knew he would be able to recognize that voice anywhere… thanks to all those years he spent, constantly trying to prove Hogan's involvement with the Underground Resistance. His first reaction was to get up and arrest Hogan right there, but after a minute, he had analyzed the entire situation; He was completely outnumbered, and not only that, but he was also in no position to go around arresting people. Hochstetter decided it was better to play it safe for the time being… at least until he had acquired more information. He tried tuning in to what Hogan was saying to his men.

"But, Colonel, I still don't see how this is gonna help us finish our mission…!" Newkirk must have said this; the English accent was very apparent to Hochstetter.

"Don't you see?" Hogan replied. "Hochstetter is a pretty important man… at least to the Germans…"

"So?" asked LeBeau.

"So, we can use that to our advantage!"

"But how??" Hochstetter guessed that Carter had said this.

"I'll explain once we get back to camp. Now, let's get him out of here…."

Hochstetter's eyes shot open as he moved in some form of protest.

"Over my dead body!" he spat. His eyes shone with defiance and hatred.

"Oh, so you're still alive?" Hogan asked sarcastically.

"Yes, I am!" Hochstetter growled in response.

"Major, what happened to you??" Carter asked again.

"That is none of your business!!" Hochstetter shouted in reply, but soon regretted it after another wave of pain washed over him. He winced in pain and tried as hard as he could to suppress any display of weakness. "Ugh… Verdammt…!!" he groaned. "Ich hasse der politische Widerstandsbewegung!!"﻿¹

"You mean the Underground did this to you?"

"Ja, who else would've done this?!" Hochstetter snapped. Again, he had forgotten about the agony that dominated his body, but was quickly reminded when a sharp pain pierced his lungs, causing him to gasp for air painfully.

"That's not a very nice way to talk to those who are about to save your life!" LeBeau replied.

"Which reminds me," Newkirk started, "why are we doing this again?"

"As I said, I'll explain everything once we get back to camp," Hogan answered.

"But Colonel," Kinch began, "do you think that's really a good idea? Showing Hochstetter everything?"

"No, but what choice do we have? London and the Underground want that captured agent out of Gestapo Headquarters, and told us to use whatever means necessary."

"But is risking our whole set-up really worth it?" Newkirk asked.

"Why are you guys so worried?" Hogan asked. "We've done this sort of thing before!"

"Yeah, the Colonel's right!" Carter chimed in. "And we've managed to pull it off and get away with it, too! Why should this time be any different?"

But deep down, everyone knew why this time was different; this was Major Hochstetter, probably one of the most hard-core Nazis they knew personally. He was willing to do anything for his Führer… no matter the cost. They all knew he would fight to the death if necessary and he had a faith in his leader that could not be broken. But it was too late to turn back now. Hogan tried to be optimistic, trying to instill courage and comfort in his men.

"C'mon now, guys, let's get him out of here."

They all reached down and picked Hochstetter up, hating every minute of it.

"I hate this," LeBeau stated.

"The feeling is mutual," Hochstetter replied hatefully.

Then they carried him off…. Right to Stalag 13…

* * *

¹_ I hate the Underground Movement_

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing! It makes me soooo happy! I just wanted to give you guys a heads up: There is a bad word or two in this chapter, just so ya know.**

* * *

Hochstetter slipped in and out of consciousness on the way back to Stalag 13. It drove him crazy to think that he was now at the mercy of Colonel Hogan. Of all people!

"_Why couldn't they finish me off when they had the chance..."_ Hochstetter briefly thought.

Whenever consciousness began to fade, reality was replaced with an image of his father, the one thing that continuously mocked him.

"You disgust me," was the first thing he always said. "Look at you, at the mercy of the enemy... you pathetic excuse for a son!"

"Shut up! I hate you!" Hochstetter told the hallucination, not realizing that what he said was partially out-loud too. As the Gestapo Major muttered things from time to time, Hogan and his men would cast brief side-glances to one another.

"I can't stand the sight of you!"

"Then get the fuck away from me!!"

"Tch... Can't even respect your superiors..."

"There's no way in hell that something like _you_ could be superior!" Hochstetter shot back. The vision raised its fist, ready to strike, which caused the Major to flinch.

"Perhaps you need to be reminded of how to obey!" His father growled.

"I hate you...! I'll kill you...!" Hochstetter groaned out-loud.

"Well, he sure seems really thankful, doesn't he?" Newkirk said sarcastically.

"Oui. I say we leave him here to die," LeBeau replied.

"As tempting as that is," Hogan started, "we can't. He might be exactly what we need to complete the mission."

"But is it really that important?"

"Well, according to London, it is, otherwise I'd be the first one to drop him like a hot potato!"

"Thank God I'm nothing like you!" Hochstetter growled to the hallucination.

"On the contrary, son," the vision laughed. "You're exactly like me."

Hochstetter shook his head. "No..." he moaned.

"We gotta keep him quiet if we're gonna get him into the tunnel," Kinch said.

"Yeah, that's the big problem with Hochstetter," Hogan began. "You never can shut him up!"

The group approached the tunnel entrance. As Hogan held the tree stump up, Carter and Newkirk climbed down so they could get Hochstetter when Kinch and LeBeau passed him down. Once they got Hochstetter into the tunnel, LeBeau, Kinch, and Hogan followed. As Hochstetter entered the tunnel, the vision of his father slowly began to fade.

"Like father, like son," his father was saying.

"No... Never..." Hochstetter whispered. "And thank God I'm nothing like you..."


	12. Chapter 12

"Put Hochstetter over there on that bench by the wall," Hogan ordered.

"Yes, sir," Carter and Newkirk replied. They set the now-quiet Major against the wall directly across from the communications center.

"Kinch, contact the Underground; see if we can arrange an exchange of some sort."

"Right, Colonel."

"Someone needs to stop that bleeding and clean the wounds..." Hogan began. Everyone fell quiet, not wanting to say anything that might make them volunteer. LeBeau took a chance.

"But why?"

"He's no good to us dead," Hogan answered. "We need some volunteers. Thanks Carter. Newkirk."

They began protesting almost immediately.

"Now wait just a second!"

"Why do we get stuck with him?!"

"Well, I can't stand the sight of blood," LeBeau chuckled.

"Yeah, and I'm busy contacting the Underground," Kinch grinned.

"And I don't think neither myself nor Hochstetter could stand it if I did it," Hogan continued. "Besides, I'm the commanding officer."

"Gee, thanks..." Newkirk grumbled. Hogan stared at him. "... Sir..."

Both Carter and Newkirk glared at Hochstetter with disdain. They made their way over to him as slowly as they possibly could, trying to procrastinate as long as they could. Meanwhile, LeBeau and Hogan began to change out of their black clothing and started wiping the black camouflage off their faces. Since LeBeau was the first to finish, Hogan sent him to see if anybody had come looking for them while they were gone. It wasn't long before Kinch got a response over the radio.

"Bad news, Colonel," he began. "It looks like that Underground agent was killed by the Gestapo the other night."

"Kummler?" Hogan asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," Kinch answered. "I was just talking to the men under his direct command. It seems that they got even with the guy that killed him, but,"

"Now they're in trouble and need to get out of Germany, right?" Hogan guessed.

"Right."

"Okay," Hogan sighed. "Make contact and arrange a time."

"Alright," Kinch replied.

--

When Newkirk and Carter were about half-way through their... assignment, Hochstetter suddenly began gaining consciousness again.

"Bastard! Get your hands off me!" he growled.

"Fine! Whatever you say!" Newkirk replied. Hochstetter's eyes opened.

"You!" he spat, once he finally saw who was touching him. His eyes darted rapidly while he tried to analyze what was going on. His eyes widened as he began to recall what had happened. "Hogan!"

Hochstetter tried to get up, once again forgetting all about his injuries, at least until a sharp and relentless pain shot through his body, causing him to wince.

"I demand to know where I am!" Hochstetter shouted.

"Hm, it looks to me like you're in no position to be demanding things, Major," Carter replied.

"Ich sorge über das nicht! Wo bin ich?! Was ist los?! Und wo ist Hogan?!"1 Hochstetter continued. Hogan walked over.

"Sounds like he wants to talk to me..." he said. "Newkirk, why don't you go get the camp medic."

"Yes, sir," Newkirk replied. Hogan looked down at the Major.

"Hogan, ich forde wissen--"2 Hochstetter started again.

"Major, please," Hogan interrupted. "If you keep ranting in German, you're gonna make this a lot harder than it has to be!"

"Gut! Du verdienst eine schwierige Zeit!"3 Hochstetter shot back.

"Well, Colonel, did you really expect the Gestapo to cooperate?" Kinch asked.

Hogan smiled. "No, I guess not."

"Look, Major, unless you start cooperating, you're never gonna find out what's going on," Carter stated.

"Ich hasse euch!"4 the Major muttered. By this time, Newkirk returned with the medic.

"What's up, Colonel?" he asked. Hogan explained the situation to the doctor. "But Colonel, doesn't this fall under giving aid to the enemy?"

"Normally, it would, yes, but this is a vital mission and I'm prepared to look the other way," Hogan answered.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do..."

"Berühren Sie mich, und ich werde sich totmachen!"5 Hochstetter warned.

"Typical Nazi..." the doctor sighed, "... So ungrateful... Just to be on the safe side, we'd better restrain him."

"Right," Hogan replied. "Hey, Newkirk? Do we have any handcuffs?" he asked.

"I think so, sir, lemme go check." Newkirk briefly left to go find the handcuffs. It wasn't long before he returned with them. "Here ya go, sir," he said as he handed the cuffs to Hogan.

"Great," Hogan fastened one side to the wall and placed the other side securely around Hochstetter's wrist. "Alright, now we should get some rope to tie him down..."

Although Hochstetter liked giving Hogan such a hard time, he found it to be in his best interest to cooperate and maintain some mobility.

"Nein, nein, das ist nicht notwendig..."6 Hochstetter began. "Ich werde mitwirken..."

"What did he say?" Carter asked.

"I said I'll cooperate!" Hochstetter translated.

"Oh!" Carter replied.

"Wait," Hogan started. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Hogan, we both agree that I am not stupid, ja?"

"Not necessarily... but go on anyway..."

Hochstetter glared at Hogan before continuing. "As a member of the Gestapo, I'm trained to analyze a situation in order to determine the best course of action."

"Get to the point," Hogan stated impatiently.

"Well, at this point, it would be best for me to stop struggling and cooperate... for the time being, so that's what I'm going to do," Hochstetter explained.

"That sounds logical enough," Kinch mused.

"Yeah... but just in case," Hogan handed Kinch a gun. "We'll each take turns guarding him. Kinch, since we're waiting for London to make contact, you take the first shift."

"Yes, sir."

Hogan turned to the medic. "You may carry on when ready."

"Yes, sir." He then took out a syringe. Hochstetter noticed it immediately.

"What's that for?!"

"It's a sedative. This will make it easier to tend to the wounds... for both of us."

"Nein."

"Major, you said you'd cooperate," Hogan reminded.

"Ja, that was _before_ I knew he was going to drug me!" Hochstetter growled.

Hogan turned to the medic. "Just siphon him anyway."

Before Hochstetter had a chance to protest, he felt the needle pierce through his arm and he felt the liquid drug forced into his bloodstream. Soon everything began to go hazy. "... Nein..."

"I wonder if the Major is afraid of needles..." Newkirk wondered out-loud.

"Nein... Ich bin nicht... aber ihr... ihr könntet nie verstehen... verbündeten Abschaum..."7 Hochstetter groaned before the sedative took full effect.

"I'm not so sure of what you just said, but, you're welcome... I think..." Hogan replied.

* * *

1._ I don't care about that! Where am I?! What's going on?! And where is Hogan?!_

2. _Hogan, I demand to know--_

3. _Good! You deserve a difficult time!_

4. _I hate you all!_

5. _You touch me, and I'll kill you!_

6. _No, no, that is not necessary..._

7. _No... I am not... but you all... you all could never understand... allied scum..._


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all! I deeply apologize for not updating in forever, but college has a way of keeping ya busy! I don't know when I'll be able to update next, but I will try a little harder this time. To make up for my absence, I tried making this part a little lengthy-er than others. I hope you enjoy.**

**Also, I tried to make the relationship between Hochstetter and his dad a little clearer in this part. As a result, I had to make up a childhood for him. It's not exactly a happy one, so consider yourself warned.**

* * *

A few days had passed. To everyone's surprise, Hochstetter had cooperated a lot more than one would have expected him to. He would usually just sit or lay there on the bench and watch as Hogan and his men went about their business. Whenever Hogan made eye contact with him, Hochstetter would work on his death glares. Each of the heroes would take turns guarding him while the others carried on as they normally would or covered for them at roll call. Over time, Carter, in particular, began to see Hochstetter less and less as an inhuman monster. Instead, he began to see him as another human being, just as vulnerable as he was. He would watch as Hochstetter muttered in his sleep, tossing and turning, and wake up in a cold sweat. No matter how tough the Gestapo major tried to act, Carter could see he was just as susceptible to nightmares as he was.

It was Carter's turn to guard the major for tonight while the rest of the group went out to meet the Underground unit they contacted earlier. Carter didn't necessarily mind staying behind---they weren't blowing anything up tonight, so he didn't feel like he was missing much. So while everyone else snuck around in the dark, he kept an eye on Hochstetter, who had been asleep for the past 45 minutes.

It wasn't long before Hochstetter began muttering something. This was nothing new, but Carter leaned in a tiny bit closer. He still kept a good amount of space between them---the major was known to sometimes lash out, even in his sleep---but he was curious. He wanted to know what the major was saying this time, but could not make it out… it sounded like he was saying names… but whose names?

"…M-…Maria…"

_'Maria again?'_ Carter sighed mentally._ 'That's the fifth time he's mentioned her… I wonder who she is…?'_

Carter was pulled from his thoughts as the Gestapo man began to groan again. He began to toss and turn as his breathing quickened.

"Another nightmare? Again? …Well, I guess if I was being held prisoner by the other side, I'd… Oh, wait… I already am…"

Hochstetter's eyes shot open. He felt the sweat trickle down his face as he looked around, searching for the haunting images that had just been there seconds ago. He didn't see Carter right away, but soon did just as reality was beginning to come back to him.

"Hey, Major? You alright?" the sergeant asked, sounding actually concerned. Hochstetter didn't like that tone in his voice; it made him feel weak and powerless. He looked away defiantly.

"I'm fine!" he grumbled.

Carter wasn't surprised by this reaction. "Were you having another nightmare, Maj--"

"Hmph! I'm the Gestapo!"

Carter looked at the major, puzzled. "So?"

"So," Hochstetter growled through clenched teeth, "the Gestapo isn't allowed to have nightmares… only to make them…!"

"I don't think that's true. Everybody has nightmares at one time or another."

"Yeah, well who cares about what _you_ think…?!"

Carter was about to drop the subject when he suddenly remembered the name 'Maria'. He wanted to know who she was, but did not expect the major to cooperate. However curiosity got the best of him and he decided to try to find out anyway.

"Hey, Major? Who is Maria?"

Something flashed behind Hochstetter's eyes---a mix of panic and alarm. His breathing began to quicken, but he soon regained control of it and replaced the look in his eyes with one of agitation.

"I don't know any 'Maria's."

"Are ya sure? You keep saying her name over and over in your sleep."

"I said, I don't know anyone by that name!"

Carter knew he was lying. Even if he wasn't, his curiosity would not be satisfied that easily. "Alright…" Suddenly, an idea came to him. "I'll try to guess who she is instead!"

Carter loved this trick. It always worked with Newkirk and LeBeau. He would keep on guessing at something until it got to a point where he'd annoy one of them so much that they'd tell him just to get him to shut up. He had a feeling it would work with Hochstetter too, thanks to his very short temper.

"Was she… your sister? Or maybe a friend of yours! Yeah! Hey, how close were you guys? Oh! Was she your girlfriend?"

Hochstetter appeared to wince, which told Carter he had struck a nerve. Now he knew where to push.

"Ooh! I bet she was your girlfriend! How long were you two together? Did you live together? Were you engaged?"

"Would you shut up!? She was my mother, okay!? Maria was my mother! Now will you just shut up!!" Hochstetter exploded. Carter was quiet for a second, looking confused. Soon he asked rather innocently,

"Why were you engaged to your mother?"

"I wasn't!! I never was!! I hardly even knew the woman!!!" Hochstetter shouted.

Carter gave the major a long, thoughtful stare. He was just pushing Hochstetter's buttons before, but the man's last comment left him honestly confused. Confused and curious. "Wha… Whaddya mean? How could you not know your own mother?"

Hochstetter had fallen quiet, now fully aware of the mistake he just made. He sighed after a moment or two and then spoke quietly.

"She died when I was very young. She was killed."

Carter suddenly remembered another name Hochstetter had mumbled once or twice. "Was it Adrian? Did Adrian kill her?"

Hochstetter paused again and sighed once more soon after. Apparently, he had talked more in his sleep than he thought he did. He soon resigned himself to confessing his life's story to the young American only after making the promise to himself that the second he was free, he'd grab a gun and blow his brains out.

"No… he didn't… at least, I don't think he did… He told me that she was killed by the Allies during the last World War…"

"Who was he?"

"Adrian Hochstetter…" he scoffed . "Adrian Hochstetter was my father…"

Carter couldn't help but notice the edge in the major's voice.

"You don't sound so thrilled… What's the matter? Weren't you guys close?"

Hochstetter hesitated. "Eh… you might say that…"

"So, after your mother died, did he raise you?"

Again, Hochstetter hesitated. "You might say that…"

"Major, you don't sound too reassuring," Carter informed.

"Well, after my mother died, we did get close, in a sense, but not necessarily to each other…"

"Whaddya mean?" Carter knew Hochstetter was dancing around the subject, but he really wanted to know.

"Well… he got closer to his alcohol and I got closer to him… well, his fist anyway…" Hochstetter said casually, which left Carter dumbfounded.

"You mean he would hit you?!"

"Only on good days."

"'Only on good days'?" Carter echoed. "What exactly was a 'good' day??"

"It varied. Usually on those days he'd only hit me around a few times…"

"And… what about the bad days?"

Hochstetter fell completely silent. A haunted, empty look entered his eyes that made Carter shiver at the prospect of what might've happened on those 'bad' days.

"Major?" he asked gently. "What would happen on the bad days?"

Hochstetter faced the wall, refusing to make any eye contact whatsoever. He did not want to risk letting his emotions get the best of him. "Let me ask you something," he started. "Did you ever see your parents? Did you ever see them using drugs, or alcohol, or tobacco, or anything?"

Carter thought for a minute, but really could not think of any such instances. "No, major… well, I mean, not really. I mean, sure, they'd have a drink every now and then or a smoke or something---"

"Then you wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?"

"What it's like."

"What what's like?"

Hochstetter was quiet for another moment. "I'm not afraid of needles, you know…"

"Huh?" The German had just lost the American with his sudden topic change. It took the sergeant another minute to figure out what the major was talking about. He then remembered the night they first brought Hochstetter here; when he was giving them all such a hard time about the sedative, and Newkirk's comment on whether or not the major was afraid of needles.

"You wouldn't understand what it's like--- never seeing your parents using needles… You see, for me, whenever I saw my father with that needle… I never knew whether he was going to come looking for me, or come hunting for me… I'm not scared of the needle itself… just which monster it would turn my father into next… but like I said before, none of you could understand what it's like…! None of you had to grow up in post-war Germany…! None of you had to accept the blame for the war…! Or the blame for your own mother's death! None of you!" Hochstetter was really starting to work himself up. Part of him couldn't believe he was telling this all to an American, but another part of him felt it could bear the secrets and pain of his past no longer.

"He blamed you for your mother's death?" Carter asked.

"… Yes. He'd always say it was _my_ fault that _his_ wife was dead."

"That's terrible!"

"You have no idea…"

"Would he do anything else?"

"… Yes…" Hochstetter visibly shivered. The contagious chill caught on to Carter and it crept down his spine.

"What would he do?" he asked cautiously.

Hochstetter shook his head. He was not ready to talk about that piece of his past, and quite honestly, he wasn't sure if he ever would be. "Be thankful I told you that much!" he growled, resuming his tough Gestapo exterior. "And if you ever repeat any of it…" Hochstetter made a gesture that suggested lethal consequences. Before Carter could say anything else, the noise of someone coming down the ladder echoed throughout the tunnel.

"Heh, what timing…" Hochstetter mumbled as Hogan walked into clear view.

"Any trouble out there, Colonel?" Carter asked.

"Nope. None at all," Hogan replied. "Just your average rendezvous with the Underground," he smirked.

"If I ever get out of here, Hogan, I can't wait to have you hanged!" Hochstetter said.

"Yeah, well, that's a pretty big 'if'," Hogan retorted. He was answered only with a disdainful grunt. He turned to Carter. "Was _he_ any trouble?"

Carter glanced at Hochstetter who refused to meet his gaze. After a second's hesitation, he replied "Nah… not really…"

"Good! Let's keep it that way, eh major?" Hogan asked smugly, receiving no reply.

"I can't thank you enough for helping us out here, Colonel," a voice was saying, coming down the tunnel. Hochstetter's eyes widened slightly. '_That voice!'_ he thought. _'I know that voice!'_

Hochstetter sat up straight and turned in the direction of the voice to discover the same Underground unit that abducted and tortured him only days ago. It was their leader who was speaking when his eyes locked with Hochstetter's. At that moment, time seemed to stand still. After the initial shock passed, Hochstetter could help but smirk at the irony of it all. Both men seemed to lose awareness of what was going on around them for a minute or two. The next thing Hochstetter remembered was Hogan and his men saying something about role call.

"I can stay and watch him," Carter offered.

"You just got through watching him," Newkirk replied. "Either way, if this keeps up, Klink will _have_ to start getting suspicious!"

"He's right," the leader of the Underground unit spoke up. Hogan looked at him while he continued. "Look, you guys are doing a huge favor for us, so why don't you let us return it? We can handle this."

"Are ya sure?" Hogan asked.

"Yeah! It would be our pleasure!" another one of the members replied as he and the rest of the group noticed Hochstetter.

"His wounds might need attending to, though," Kinch reminded. One of the members shook his head.

"Don't worry about it; I used to be a field medic. I can handle that," he said.

"Well, alright… If you really think you can handle it…" Hogan decided. He pulled the gun out of his belt and handed it to the leader. "There's a chance he might give you a little trouble, so you might as well be prepared." The leader grabbed the gun, but Hogan still held on. "Don't use it unless you have to. Even though we're underground right now, you can still hear a gunshot loud and clear up there, and the last thing we need is for the Krauts to discover our little system here, understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright, then…" Hogan relinquished the gun to the other man and motioned for his men to start heading up the ladder.

"Don't worry, sir," then man said while smiling at the gun in his hand. "I can't foresee him posing any difficulty…!"

Hogan started up the ladder. "Role call doesn't usually take too long; we'll be back in a few minutes." He then continued up the ladder. When he was gone, the remaining men smirked evilly to each other. They could finally settle everything once and for all. Hochstetter knew he was staring into the faces of his executioners... but instead of letting fear consume him... he laughed.

* * *

**A/N: Well, tell me what ya think. I had a little trouble coming up with a believable childhood for Hochstetter, and I'm not sure if I overdid it or not. I was going to add something about sexual abuse, but I'm not sure if that would be overkill or not, so I just alluded to it a bit. I dunno... If ya wanna share some of your own thoughts about this with me, it'd be greatly appreciated. But don't feel obligated! Just as long as you review, I'll be happy...**


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